In the African tribal artifact market, intense colours and European paints seem to be considered more of a deterrent than a motivation for purchase. But the reality is that with genuine African artifacts, rich colour and European paints:
• Reflect a more authentic sense of African ritualism
• Give the piece greater ritual energy and power than non coloured pieces

Additionally they are:
• less likely to be counterfeit or fraudulent (in form-for-form comparison)
• less susceptible to irrational price inflation.

If it is a choice between paint or patination on "like quality" pieces, give me paint every time. "You must be mad", I hear you say.

Over the last 2 years I have watched and read with fascination (and I must admit, moments of both amusement and annoyance) as debate has ebbed and flowed around African art in the west. Everywhere I turn, antique hunters, individuals and auction houses have been crying “real or not?” or probably more realistically “valuable or not?”

My annoyance comes from a feeling that this type of commercial “one-up-manship” has been trivializing objects based on their dollar value, the previous owner or the objects documented age, and diverting from ritual and/or aesthetic appreciation.